Enjoy the ease of this Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing. 15-minutes of prep time is all you need and then the oven does the rest of the work! Smoky and savory with a bright lemony tahini dressing, this is the perfect cold-weather salad.
Isn’t it great when you can take boring vegetables and turn them into amazingly delicious salads? That’s exactly how I feel about this roasted cauliflower salad with tahini.
Once the cooler weather rolls in, salads might not be your go-to meal idea, but this one will change your mind! It’s loaded with nutty roasted cauliflower, spicy roasted chickpeas, peppery arugula, toasted sunflower seeds, and sweet dried cranberries. The whole thing is drizzled with the most amazing tahini salad dressing. Perfection!
Roasting brings out the natural nuttiness of the cauliflower and the chickpeas, but you can also get that same taste by using your air fryer. I have great recipes for air fryer cauliflower and crispy chickpeas in the air fryer that you can check out if you’d prefer to use this method.
The recipe serves 8 as a side salad and less if you’re serving it as a main dish. It’s a great way to enjoy cauliflower when it’s in season, which I try to do every year! If you have some cauliflower left over, you can try making some of my other favorite recipes like cauliflower leek soup and vegan cauliflower tacos.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- You can make it ahead: Roasted cauliflower salad lasts for up to 5 days in the fridge after you make it, so you can store it in containers to enjoy throughout the week.
- It’s healthy: Cauliflower is a good source of healthy nutrients, and chickpeas are rich in minerals and fiber. Eating healthy never tasted so good!
- It’s easy to customize: As with most salads, you can swap in your favorite ingredients to make it the roasted cauliflower salad of your dreams!
Key Ingredients
One of my favorite things about this salad is that it uses a lot of pantry ingredients which means it’s easy to keep these things on hand to whip it up at a moment’s notice.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Cauliflower: Use fresh not frozen. Frozen cauliflower is too watery when thawed to roast perfectly. Look for a cauliflower head that is firm and tight with no brown spots on the florets.
- Chickpeas: Make sure to rinse and dry the canned chickpeas well so they crisp up in the oven.
- Spices: I create a smoky flavor by combining paprika, cumin, and garlic powder. You can swap for your favorite spice combinations.
- Arugula: This leafy green has a nice peppery flavor and goes great with the other ingredients in this roasted cauliflower salad.
- Seeds: Sunflower seeds or pepitas add a good crunch. I like to toast them before sprinkling over the top of the salad.
- Dried cranberries: These add a sweet tartness to the salad which goes really well with the tahini dressing.
- Tahini dressing: Tahini paste (a smooth paste made from sesame seeds, similar to peanut butter), lemon juice, garlic, and water. A lot of recipes for tahini dressing add olive oil, but I don’t see the need for it because tahini contains oil naturally from the sesame seeds. My version of this dressing skips the added oil so it’s a lighter and healthier version.
Tip!
To quickly toast sunflower seeds, spread them in a single layer in a small sheet pan and toast in a preheated 350°F/180°C oven for 5 minutes!
How To Make Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini
This recipe takes only a few minutes of minimal prep and then your oven takes over! So simple. Let’s take a look at the step-by-step process.
- Prepare. Add cauliflower florets, chickpeas, and red onion wedges to a large sheet pan. Drizzle olive oil, then season with smoked paprika, ground cumin, garlic powder, and salt.
- Roast the veggies and chickpeas at 400°F/200°C for 20–25 minutes then broil for 3–5 minutes to get a nice crispy crust. Let everything cool for 20 minutes.
- Make dressing. Whisk the dressing ingredients together until everything is combined. If you’re doubling or tripling the tahini salad dressing recipe, you can use a blender to whip it up. It’s not necessary, but it could make it easier to make larger batches.
- Assemble. Grab a large salad bowl and add the arugula.
- Next, add the cauliflower, spiced chickpeas, and onions, then drizzle with the dressing. Sprinkle over the toasted seeds and dried cranberries and toss to combine.
Tip!
Feel free to chop up the core of the cauliflower and roast that part too! Throw the whole thing in there, it’s all edible.
Recipe Tips
- For crispier cauliflower, dry the florets completely with paper towels before adding them to the sheet pan.
- Need a shortcut? Buy bags of prechopped cauliflower to save time on prep.
- Avoid waste. If you decide not to use the core, do not discard it. Freeze it for the next time you want to make vegetable broth, stir fry, or make cauliflower rice.
- Roast florets of similar size together. It’s important to chop your florets down to the same size, no matter what size it is, so that the pieces in the same batch will cook evenly.
Make it Your Own
This tahini salad is so delicious as is, but you can easily customize it based on your tastes! Here are a few suggestions you might like:
- Add turmeric. You can add ½ teaspoon of ground turmeric to the cauliflower and chickpeas before roasting. I love adding it to cauliflower as it gives it a nice color and mild earthy flavor, plus it’s so healthy! Turmeric will stain your hands though if you use them to toss it with the cauliflower. To avoid staining, use a spoon, or wear gloves. The flavor of roasted turmeric goes so well with the tahini too!
- Swap the nuts. Don’t have sunflower seeds or pepitas? Throw in some pecans or pine nuts instead. I love the crunch of the nuts, but you can also leave the nuts out altogether.
- Swap the dressing. If tahini dressing isn’t your thing, you could try this salad with homemade ranch dressing instead.
- Add protein. This salad is a great vegetarian option, but you can also add some protein like chicken or shrimp for some added flavor.
- Switch the greens. Instead of arugula, try adding some baby spinach, chopped parsley, or kale.
Storing Tips
This cauliflower salad will keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It makes a great option for meal prep! You can make your salad at the beginning of the week for lunches all week long.
What To Serve With Roasted Cauliflower Salad
This healthy, wholesome, and filling salad is a meal all on its own, complete with veggies, protein, and complex carbs. Great for vegetarians, or those who are just looking for ways to enjoy less meat throughout the week.
If you do serve it as a side dish, it’s well paired with Instant Pot drumsticks, air fryer sirloin steak, or garlic butter baked trout.
FAQs
The best way to preserve it is to store it in the refrigerator in a loose plastic bag with some holes punched into the bag to allow air to circulate the cauliflower.
If you overcrowd the sheet pan, the florets will steam instead of roast, and it can end up mushy. Space the florets out as much as you can to let the heat circulate so they will crisp up.
You’ve probably undercooked it. Grab a fork and prick the cauliflower to check for doneness a few minutes before the roasting time is up. If the fork easily pierces it, you know it’s ready!
Save this recipe for the next time you want something healthy and light for dinner even during the cooler months. Pin it for more people to enjoy too!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Roasted Cauliflower Salad with Tahini Dressing
Equipment
- Half sheet pan
- Small bowl
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower cut into florets
- 1 15-oz can chickpeas rinsed and drained well
- 1 medium red onion cut into wedges
- 3 tablespoons olive oil not extra virgin
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2-3 cups arugula (Rocket in the UK)
- 2 tablespoons toasted sunflower seeds/pepitas
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
For the dressing
- ¼ cup tahini paste
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 small clove garlic pressed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.
- To a large sheet pan, add cauliflower florets, chickpeas, red onion wedges. Drizzle with olive oil, then season with smoked paprika, ground cumin, garlic powder, and salt.
- Roast in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cauliflower florets are fork tender, then place under the broiler for 3-5 minutes for everything to crisp up but keep an eye on them. If you want the cauliflower crispier, place under the broiler for a few minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes.
- As the cauliflower is being roasted, make the tahini dressing. In a bowl, combine tahini paste with lemon juice, water, garlic, and salt. Whisk until creamy but not too thick. Add more water if needed to thin it out.
- To assemble the salad, add arugula to a large bowl, followed by the cooled roasted cauliflower, spicy chickpeas and onion. Drizzle with the dressing, and sprinkle with toasted sunflower seeds/pepitas and dried cranberries. Toss to combine and serve.
Notes:
- Swap the nuts. Don’t have sunflower seeds or pepitas? Throw in some pecans or pine nuts instead. I love the crunch of the nuts, but you can also leave the nuts out altogether.
- Swap the dressing. If tahini dressing isn’t your thing, you could try this salad with homemade ranch dressing instead.
- Add protein. This salad is a great vegetarian option, but you can also add some protein like chicken or shrimp for some added flavor.
- Switch the greens. Instead of arugula, try adding some baby spinach or kale.
- Storing: This cauliflower salad will keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It makes a great option for meal prep! You can make your salad at the beginning of the week for lunches all week long.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Aisha says
Yum! Delicious recipe, although I did modify it a bit by using pomegranate instead of dried cranberries, roasted almonds instead of pepitas and adding a touch of maple syrup to the tahini dressing. Definitely a very flexible recipe and super flavourful, highly recommend!
Erin says
This tasted so delish! Thanks for the tip about adding turmeric. I love cooking with it, and this is the perfect recipe.
Little Sunny Kitchen says
So happy that you enjoyed this recipe, Erin! Thank you for taking the time to write this kind review!
Cara T says
We loved this salad so much. The dressing is everything! And my kids loved it too.
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Thanks for the great review, Cara! So glad that you and your kids love this recipe!